Throughout the pandemic, wedding-related events were on hold and drive-through bridal showers were the new normal. As vaccination rates are up and cities are open for business, having a pre-pandemic style bridal shower is now once again possible. With the new normal we live in, where prioritizing health and safety for all is absolutely paramount, it can leave brides feeling overwhelmed about the special events they planned throughout their engagement.
We’ve rounded up a few tips and tricks to make sure your bridal shower is everything you hoped it would be and more! Stay stress-free with these top tips and add tips of your own in the comments section below.
Guest List
In planning any event, the first thing to consider is who you want to be there and celebrate with. State guidelines caused many brides to have to cut down on their guest list with their weddings due to COVID-19. Now that we are starting to come out from the pandemic, there is more room to invite more guests to events per state guidelines. Our general tip for planning your bridal shower guest list is to envision yourself walking into the room, or venue. Ask yourself, who is in that vision? Is anyone missing? Who can I not imagine having my bridal shower without?
Begin by asking yourself these questions and write down your guest list. Anyone else can celebrate from afar, but this is your priority guest list.
Don’t get stuck in a rut with people-pleasing. You can always use COVID and health and safety as an excuse to limit your guest count, and remember that anyone who makes you feel guilty about your decisions or doesn’t respect your decisions, doesn’t have to be there.
Location
The CDC recommended that any event where numerous groups of people are present are safest when held outdoors. Because of this, we highly recommend an outdoor location when planning your bridal shower - at least for the next 12 months. An outdoor event gives ample room for your guests to breathe, walk around, and keep safe space if they prefer to with other guests.
Some suggested bridal shower locations are a backyard of a family member’s house, a park, a beach (if close access makes sense), a winery, or an outdoor restaurant. The number of people on your guest list will likely dictate what makes the most sense in terms of location. If you have a large guest list, then a backyard or public space is probably ideal. If you prefer a more intimate guest list with a more luxurious bridal shower affair, then paying to reserve space at a restaurant or winery may be a more relaxing option than a DIY affair.
Food & Beverage
For large groups, buffet style dining is always an efficient way of serving your guests. In the early days of the pandemic, we learned that this option is unfortunately an efficient way of spreading bacteria and viruses, like COVID-19, when many hands are touching the same surface or objects. In the case of buffet style dining, having many people using the same serving spoons can now make guests a little uncomfortable. If you are having a large bridal shower, then we recommend setting up stations and designating a few family members to be in charge of serving your guests. That way, you are limiting the spread of germs.
Alternatively, setting up individual portions or containers of food, like personal charcuterie cups, are a great way to serve your guests in an eye-pleasing manner.
Favors
A common wedding-related favor these days is customized hand sanitizers with the bride and groom’s names, and, honestly, you can’t go wrong with a favor like this! It will be a favor that is put to good use.
We suggest skipping custom face masks at your post-covid bridal shower. We’ve noticed that masks are going on sale on many retail sites because there no longer is a mask mandate. Right now people are starting to feel more comfortable without masks, so having these as a favor may cause them to go unused - although they are a thoughtful gesture!
One favor that never fails is food! Small containers of honey, mints, or olive oils, etc are a big hit at bridal showers. For a stress-free option, select from edible favors on Etsy. Etsy sellers are great at personalizing these favors for you!.
We hope these tips are helpful in planning your stress-free bridal shower. It really should be a lovely day! Just remember that as long as you have your closest friends and family with you, food to snack on, and good weather for an outdoor celebration, then your bridal shower will be a success. xoxo